The Emerald Soulmate

02. Myth of wood man

Before evening, the five of them immediately ended their play. And go home to each other. Although Ten was a bit disappointed because of the delay of the first day of hunting, but he was quite happy with the promise uttered by his father last afternoon, which was to bring a lot of rabbits hunted.

"Mother, I'm home" Ten opened the door. Slender. Where's everybody?

"Mother, where's mom? Hasn't Dad come home yet?" Ten opened all the wooden doors of his booth, and found no sign of his parents.

Are Mom and Dad not done yet? ask Ten in your heart. Since the house was empty, Ten immediately went out and headed to the backyard. While waiting for his parents who have not come home, he will cut wood to be used as fuel to make a fire later that night which his family will use to roast rabbits.

But when he arrived in the backyard, he found his mother had been there. "Mom, are you home from work?" sapa Ten's.

Ten's mother, Meisha Fei, turned her head because she heard her son's voice. "Oh, Ten. I came home and was waiting for you. Let's cut this wood together" Fei said.

Ten nodded obediently, "Yes, Mom. I thought Mom hadn't come home because the house was deserted. Does that mean you haven't come home yet?" Ten took out a wood cutting tool and started cutting.

"Your father came home just now. He brought a bunch of rabbits for us to party tonight. Did you ask for it?" asked Fei with a smile. Fei knew very well his son's favorite, and Ten's favorite food was roasted rabbits.

Ten shook his head, "Dad offered it to Mommy himself, because he didn't take me hunting."

Fei turned his head to face his son. She knew that her husband did not take her son hunting for reasons of the mythical wood man. Actually Fei did not want to be easy to believe, but hearing the reason for her husband she was afraid also just in case the myth was true. At least just in case, Ten did not come first because he was a child, especially Ten could not take care of himself properly.

"Have not been sad" said Fei to calm his son. "If you grow up to be a strong young man and can protect yourself, I'm sure your father will allow you to hunt with him" Fei continued.

Ten looked at his mother, "But, Mother. Was it that long I had to wait? Does this myth really exist? Zou said, if there is no evidence, it cannot be a fact yet," Ten tried to refute his mother with the opinion that Zou conveyed last afternoon.

Fei smiled, "Your friend is not wrong, Ten. Although there is no evidence, there are witnesses. We forbid you not because you easily believe in the myth, but just in case Ten. Because, anything is possible, right?" fei gently explained to Ten so that he could understand.

Ten again relented and nodded, "Alright, Mom."

"Oh, yeah, where's Dad?" Ten dyedukan, the article realized that he had not seen the nose of his father when his mother said that Ken had gone home.

Fei continued his activity of chopping wood, "After returning home, the village head called the residents earlier. And your father went with the others."

"Then, you must have put the rabbit, where did you put it, Mom?" tanya Ten was impatient.

Fei chuckled little seeing the excessive enthusiasm of his son, he pointed to the top of a table using his chin as both of his hands were still busy cutting.

Ten immediately ran to the table. He could not hold back his drool that dripped seeing the amount of rabbit meat his father hunted. "Mom, I'm gonna skin this rabbit soon, I'm gonna cut the wood I'm handing over to Mom" cried Ten.

Fei laughed again hearing that, "Yes, fine. Do as you please, Ten."

And shortly after, Ten put the rabbits into a wooden container and led them to the river, intending to skin the flesh and clean the blood.

Meanwhile, the group of villagers had already finished. Ken soon returned home and was greeted by his wife who was still cutting wood in the backyard. "What was the announcement made by the village chief?" ask Fei.

Ken glanced at the surroundings anxiously, as if afraid that anyone would listen. "Mitos wood man, the more here is discussed, not only our village, many villages have heard the myth as well. Because it was increasingly circulating, the village head became afraid of the calamity that might come in the future. So he appealed to everyone to be careful and warned not to let small children into the forest first" Ken explained very slowly.

Fei nodded in understanding. "Oh yeah, where's Ten, is he home yet?" ken asked normalize his tone. It was as if there had been no serious conversation before.

"It has. And he was now in the river to skin and clean his rabbit meat" Fei replied. "Fast after him, it's almost evening and the rabbit is very much so Ten must be in trouble" Fei said later.

"Alright," Ken immediately caught up with Ten and helped him.

After both Ten and Ken's work is done, they immediately return to their homes. Fei who had also finished chopping wood was preparing the seasoning for the roasted rabbit.

Neither Ken nor Fei, the two of them did not inform Ten of the village chief's announcement. They didn't want Ten to be sad because they couldn't go hunting until sometime. Let Ten now happily enjoy the grilled rabbit meal.

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The next morning, as usual, Ten's routine is to help his parents, and after he finishes later, he will play with his friends.

But what is surprising is, his father was not ready to go hunting even though the day was near noon. Ten actually found his father was busy making scarecrows from wood as tall as adults.

"What are you doing?" tanya Ten. Ken turned to him, "Oh, this. Dad's making a wooden man's statue. Think of it like a big miniature."

Ten is getting confused, "Wood man sculptor? For what, Dad? To scare the birds in the fields?" a second later, his facial expression turned in awe, "Dad used myths for useful things. Dad's great."

Ken laughed at the compliment from his son, "Not. Actually I want this for a means to train you. But, the idea of a scarecrow is not bad, you are great, Ten," said Ken proudly as he rubbed the head of his child.

Ten was happy because he could be a useful child for his parents. But what did his father say? "How to train myself? What do you mean?" ask Ten.

Ken chuckled, "Your father and mother want you to be strong before growing up to be a great young man. So, Father prepared this wooden man statue for you to practice attacking them. At once I learned martial arts techniques and wielded weapons properly."

"Waahh, that's great," Ten's eyes sparkled at it. "I'll learn martial arts and hold a weapon, wow," Ten stared at his two palms in disbelief. He looked up at his father, "Is this real?"

Seeing Ken nod, Ten could no longer hold back his excitement, "Yeay, I will learn martial arts and wield weapons. I will train so strongly that I can attack anyone who hurts me. It's great!"

Ken nodded once more, satisfied with his son's enthusiastic response. With this, then Ten's desire to go hunting is sidetracked. "Alright, training will start tomorrow because today I have to go hunting. You play with your friends, be a good boy and go home before evening, okay?"

Ten nodded, still excited, he ran towards the field where his friends were waiting for him. Again Ken chuckled at the behavior of his son.

"Sounds like you're happy, Ten?" greet his friends as soon as Ten arrives in the field. Ten nodded cheerfully, "Sure."

Kai squinted his eyes suspiciously, "Don't you today get some light work? Luckily, today I am tired of harvesting in the fields and lifting a few thousand kilos of corn" Kai complained.

Hiro quickly replies to Kai, "Call on, deserve your hard work. Look Ten, has he ever complained?"

Kai glared, "You don't like me huh, Hiro? From yesterday you refuted my words, while others you praised."

While Kai and Hiro were engrossed in arguing, Ten shook his head lightly, ignoring them.

"I'm happy today because Dad made me a wooden-man statue"

"Wait a minute, wooden man statue?!" Kyo screamed in fear. After his father came home from a meeting of the citizens yesterday, and told of his announcement, since then Kyo has been increasingly frightened when he heard the wooden man called.

Hearing a loud scream from Kyo, makes Hiro and Kai stop their pointless debate. "Stop screaming, Kyo. Do you like to disturb people's hearing?" ask Kai annoyed.

Zou cuefully said, "Once again Kyo cut off the explanation that Ten was going to convey."

Kyo who heard the protest from his friends lowered his gaze, between feeling guilty, was also still afraid.

Ten immediately broke up with them, "It's okay, Kyo. It's natural you're afraid, but my father made a wooden man statue with a great purpose."

Hiro immediately turned his gaze towards Ten, "What did you say? Your father made a wooden man?"